Many people enter a job interview trying to impress the hiring manager on the other side of the table. The interview is really a two-way street that allows an applicant to see if a company really is a place that they’ll want to work! It’s also the chance to spot a bad boss before you accept a job offer. When you use these 5 methods to avoid a bad boss that you can spot in any interview, then you’ll save yourself a lot of unnecessary misery.

#1. There’s Bad Energy In the Office

My favorite job interview question was this: “How would you respond to an employee who was upset about their health care benefits being raised?” There were four other people in the room and after the question was asked, they all sat back in their chairs and crossed their arms. Two things became apparent: health care benefits at this company were being slashed AND no one was happy about it. If there’s bad energy in an office, there’s bound to be a bad office. Say a quick “Thank you!” and don’t look back.

#2. Your Interviewer Doesn’t Care… or Cares Too Much

On my very first job interview, the hiring manager asked if I wanted a soda. I declined. Then he asked me if I liked the sandwiches from the local deli in town. I did, so he offered to share part of his sandwich. I declined that too. Then he asked if I wanted to go out for drinks later. I got up and left. When an interviewer is disinterested, then he doesn’t care about the company and that’s a bad boss. If your interviewer is trying to be your buddy, then they’re desperate and that’s a sign of a bad boss as well.

#3. Where Do You See Yourself in 12 Months?

It’s a popular question that an interviewer will ask an applicant, but it’s more fun to turn that question around when you get the chance. “How would you define success in this position in 12 months?” I asked during an interview once. Her response was surprising. She’d drawn up a complete outline of her expectations for the new employee and what they would achieve. A bad boss has assumptions and preconceived notions about you that you’ll never really end up meeting. Stay far, far away.

#4. Does Your Interviewer Ramble?

The worst question I’ve ever been asked in an interview was this: “If you were a road sign, then which sign would you be and why?” Questions like this have no bearing on an interview unless the hiring manager holds a doctorate in psychology. For the average interview, it means that you’ve got a bad boss on your hands because they don’t know how to build an effective team. There’s a good chance you could become the boss in this situation, but there’s an equally good chance you’ll be treated for migraines in 3 months too.

#5. High Turnover Is Bad News

Some jobs have high turnover rates, like child protection workers. Other jobs have high turnover rates because of bad bosses. The interview is your chance to find out why the position opened up and what the company expects of the new employee. Try to chat up the team to see what is going on as well. If everyone is negative, defensive, and avoids you at all cost, then avoid that job at all costs.

These 5 signs can sometimes be hard to spot and you can still end up working for a bad boss, but these tips can reduce those chances dramatically. Use the interview as your own tool and you’ll be able to find your dream job sooner rather than later.

One of the most common pieces of advice that is given to everyone in the business world every day is to prioritize. You do your best to give the most critical tasks more attention throughout the day and allow other projects to sit on the back burner until you’re ready to handle them. The only issue is that once we create our priorities, we tend to ignore them. Items stay on the back burner and don’t get done!

Here’s a thought: instead of ignoring certain tasks that might require our attention, what if you ignored certain people who typically want our attention when it may not be needed?

Is It Possible To Ignore People Sometimes?

Absolutely! Although no one ever really likes to be ignored, the harsh reality of modern life is that there are way too many people who can demand attention throughout the day. If you responded to every email or phone call, then half of your day would already be gone before you got anything else done! Our attention and our time is a finite resource. When too many people need something, then people must be ignored.

It’s all about creating a certain line in the sand when it comes to needs that must be met. If certain needs cross this line, then take care of them. If they do not, even if that person has a personal relationship with you, then they should be ignored until you can move where that line should be drawn. This is what the most successful people do every day. They prioritize their people management, not their work management.

Do You Have a Coffee Stalker Near You?

Why is managing people more important than managing work? Because people are an intense distraction that stops any work from being done. Take that guy who has a cup of coffee in his hand every morning and wants to talk to you about the shows he watched on TV the night before. Not only is he not getting anything done, but he’s preventing you from working while he’s talking to you.

That distraction goes beyond the conversation, however, and this is also time that must be accounted for in some way. Maybe you feel frustrated by the interruption and you spend time centering yourself. Maybe you laughed at his joke and the memory of the joke is distracting you as you try to get to work. The effects of the coffee stalker last longer than you might realize!

What Is Your Threshold?

That’s why finding ways to ignore the right people who don’t meet your threshold of need must be ignored. Slap on some headphones, play some classical music so your mind doesn’t want to sing along with the lyrics to your favorite song, and don’t give the coffee stalker any attention. Eventually they will go away… as will everyone else that doesn’t meet your threshold of priority.

Does this seem like it will make you feel guilty? The result when you tell people “No” is actually quite empowering. You are taking control. You are being the one who creates results. This one decision of planned ignoring excites your active consciousness and actually helps you to work harder! So consider your options: you could put a task on the back burner… or you could just ignore those people who are robbing you of your full potential.

Does it always seem like certain people get to taste success, but you never do? Would you love to know what the secrets of these successful people are so you can get similar results? Believe it or not, it is the habits of an individual that will lead them toward consistently good or consistently bad decisions. If the following habits are part of your overall routine, then you could be setting yourself up for failure before a task even begins.

#1. Being Lazy

Laziness is the #1 destructive habit there is. A lack of desire to do the simple things can mean facts don’t get double-checked or standards won’t be maintained. There is no initiative to do something more or even provide additional input that may be necessary. Laziness isn’t procrastination. It is a complete unwillingness to get something done.

#2. Being Caught By Surprise

Unexpected events happen all of the time, but certain people always seemed to be surprised by them. The worst case scenario isn’t always going to happen, so assuming that it can be destructive. Not planning for difficult situations, however, can quickly lead to failure. Do you have a life insurance policy that can help to protect your loved ones? Is there a backup plan in place in case your new investments tank?

#3. Being Indecisive

The worst decision that someone can make is to not actually make a decision. You don’t want to make assumptions and decide on something before you get all of the facts, but you do sometimes need to make quick decisions. Being indecisive means that someone is worried about the consequences of a decision and that ultimately means there is a fear of risk.

#4. Being Stuck In the Past

Were the 4 years of high school pretty great for you? Have you always done something a certain way at work and now you can’t do things that way? Being stuck in the past means you’re looking at memories instead of potential success. Memories are a good thing if they keep us out of repetitive mistakes or provide a pleasant interlude for a daydreaming break during the creative process. Being stubborn about change because you like the old ways or just want to stay in the fond memories of yesteryear? That will lead to destruction.

#5. Being Isolated

Leadership is a naturally lonely position, but it isn’t an isolated position. Leaders are lonely because they have to be the one to make the choices. They aren’t isolated, however, because they solicit different points of view so that the best decision can be made. If you don’t let anyone in, then you’ll never benefit from their experience!

#6. There Is No Skill Development

The worst habit of all is to pretend you can so something when you just don’t have the technical skills to do so. Sometimes you can fake it by spending some time going through YouTube videos or reading websites, but eventually you’re pretending will get found out. Develop real skills and you’ll be able to develop real success.

Don’t let your bad habits keep you back from the success that wants to come your way. Avoid these bad habits and you’ll have the secret to success that you can share with others in the future!

It has been said that men are from one planet and women are from another. From a career standpoint, it might be more accurate to say that men will apply for just about any job where they meet some of the qualifications, but women will only apply for jobs where they feel like they’re 100% qualified. It’s something that is often quoted when giving women career advice and is usually the foundation of a criticism: women should be more confident!

Women don’t take this attitude because they are lacking in confidence. They are instead applying for the job because they are confident that they’ll get the job! It’s all about time conservation, not a lack of self-esteem. Why waste time applying for a job that the odds say you’re not going to get?

How Can Women Improve Their Chances To Get Hired?

Many people apply for a job simply because they feel like they can do the job based on the advertised job description. There are a number of qualifications listed in this description, including educational degrees, job experience, and even leadership experience. Here’s a harsh reality: these screening tools aren’t always in place to invite applications.

This affects women more than men because more than 1 in 4 women admit that they don’t want to waste their time applying for a job just to be told that they don’t meet the qualifications! Women more than men feel like the workplace follows certain rules and these rules guide the hiring process, how a career can develop, and even how much money can be earned.

Many employers, however, don’t follow these rules. Most employers make up their own rules.

Are You Ready To Start Playing the Employer’s Game?

If you’ve ever had to sit in a waiting room for 20 minutes after your interview was scheduled, then you’ve already started playing the employer’s game. The hiring process is a game for most employers and it is designed to help weed out people who might not be around in a year or two. Today’s employer wants someone dedicated, loyal, and willing to work for less than someone else if they’ve got the right skill level.

This can work to your advantage, no matter what gender you happen to be! It’s all about finding the right combination of compensation and skill for the longest period of time. If you’re willing to play the employer’s game, then you can win if you’re willing to take a calculated risk here or there. Could you do that job if you don’t have a degree? Do you have the job experience needed and the proven leadership skills, but in a different field? Then apply for the job and you might just get it!

Confidence is often considered the key to a successful job application, but self-esteem plays just a small role. Your ability to recognize what an employer wants and then be able to communicate that you can provide this need in the most affordable way is what will help you land that dream job.

Working for a tough boss is one thing, but working for a boss that seems to hate you is a whole different set of problems! It creates tension at work, keeps you thinking about work problems when you’re at home, and ultimately affects the quality of your work. Here’s the good news: you can turn that frown on your boss’s face upside down! Here are 7 ways you can make that happen.

Make Your Word Your Bond

1) When you do what you say you’re going to do, then you create a level of trust that surrounds you. This aura of trust, if you will, is something that doesn’t go away – unless you break your word. The more trust that you can build up when you make your word your bond, the better off your experiences will be with your boss and the less hate will be involved.

Stop Making Excuses

2) Mistakes are going to happen because they are simply part of human nature. A boss hates mistakes, but bosses hate excuses for mistakes even more. Instead of trying to come up with a convincing lie, just be honest. If you’re late because you overslept, say so. If you made an error, apologize and fix the problem. Once you do, make efforts to prevent the issue from happening again.

Stop the Complaints

3) Misery loves company more than a dog loves free sausages. It’s easy to complain about a difficult situation, but you’ll show true leadership skills if you can make requests that will resolve the issues at hand. Putting in a request to get new pencils helps everyone a lot more than complaining about an ineffective boss who forgot to order pencils on the last supply run.

Be Solution Orientated

4) Sometimes you’ve got to take the initiative and just come up with a solution to a problem on your own. Who cares if it isn’t within your job responsibility? Unless you’re a sole proprietor, you’re working with a team of people. When they benefit, you benefit. If they fail, you fail. Find solutions to the issues at hand, share them with your boss, or even implement them on your own if time is an issue. Your boss will love you for it.

Be Willing To Grow

5) If there’s one thing that a boss hates above anything else, it’s an employee that just sits in their chair every day without caring about anything else. You don’t need to be ambitious and try to climb the corporate ladder. You do, however, need to take care of yourself, manage your growth, and follow your dreams and goals. It’s not your boss that needs to get your scheduled into new opportunities or training classes – it’s you!

Find a Way To Be a Team Player

6) A boss is stuck in a position where they must be a team player, no matter what their personal feelings happen to be. Complaining about corporate policy is just going to frustrate your boss even more, especially since they probably agree with you! Stay out of the gossip and just be upfront about your concerns. If your boss can do something about it, then they will. If not, then those in the drama mill will be hated more than you.

Be Proactive About Your Job

7) Most bosses feel like they need to micromanage because jobs just don’t get done on time or with a good quality. If you can be reliable with your job performance, it’ll make the life of your boss easier. Support their success and you’ll have your success supported too! You might even find that some of the drudge work you’ve been doing will get delegated to others.

Why is it important to have a beneficial relationship with your boss? Because one day you might find yourself in a similar leadership position. You’ll want a little help here and there, which means being proactive about providing help can stop hatred before it ever starts.